A border is generally seen as a line of separation. A line, however, is a theoretical construct. A border is in fact an area, defined by its own boundaries—boundaries which are themselves areas. Interpreted this way, borders can be compared to fractals. Ranging from the infinitely large to the infinitely small, borders create further borders—geographically, as well as conceptually. Like fractals, borders are recursive: Concepts can be segmented into ever smaller concepts, which in turn can be merged into ever larger concepts—a semantic gradation from small to large, and large to small. Conceptually, a border might be seen as the intersection of two adjacent spaces—it is a “fuzzy” area in which the two spaces merge.
Hence, the border as a line of separation is an idea, not reality. When drawn, it implicitely represents a perspective, a point of view. And yet, it is an idea which has the power to shape reality. It can alter perceptions, which can alter behaviors and environments. Just as a piece of writing can change perspectives, behaviors, and—finally—reality, so too can these ‘fictitious’ geographies. Drawing the line perpetuates the myth of black and white, where in fact, there are only infinite shades of gray.
[...] At the center of my theory of adaptibility lies the idea of an object. Our recognition of an object as a type is based on its class integrity—the degree to which its attributes overlap with those of its object class. As an object adapts in form and shape, its semantic qualities must predominantly match those of its object class, in order for it to be continuously recognized as a particular type. There is a point at which an object may have adapted beyond its original semantic boundaries, altering the position of the object in relation to its class. This is what I will call a class shift. I find it important to note that category boundaries are never absolute—instead, they are a fuzzy boundaries which permit infinite permutations of objects. Furthermore, it is possible that a class shift does not simply move an object from class A to class B, but creates a new class C as a result, which lies somewhere in between the two former classes. In societal terms, object classes are negotiated by general concensus, and are never measurable—they are merely understood. [...]